LOS ANGELES (AP) — Cody Bellinger had a grand slam and six RBIs as the Dodgers scored 11 times in the bottom of the first — their most runs in one inning of a regular-season game since moving to Los Angeles — during a 14-3 blowout over the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday night. Bellinger led the onslaught with a franchise-record six RBIs in the inning. After Paul Goldschmidt homered to put St. Louis ahead 1-0, Bellinger’s two-run single gave Los Angeles a 3-1 lead. Later in the inning, he hit his sixth career slam. The 11-run inning surpassed the previous mark of 10, which had been done at least four times, most recently in the first inning on April 25, 2008, at Colorado. It was the second time in less than a year the Dodgers had an 11-run first. They put up the same number in Game 3 of last year’s NL Championship Series against Atlanta. Mookie Betts also had two hits as the Dodgers sent 14 batters to the plate in the first. Zach McKinstry, who had a two-run single, Justin Turner and Betts... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Javier Báez lined a two-run homer, Anthony Rizzo had two doubles among three hits and the surging Chicago Cubs beat the San Diego Padres 6-1 on Wednesday for their third straight win and ninth in 10 games. Baez’s shot to the left-field bleachers was his 14th homer and third in three games, and it capped a three-run seventh that allowed Chicago to put it away. Rizzo drove in two runs in the fifth with his first double to snap 1-1 tie. The Cubs homered eight times as they swept the Padres in a three-game set at Wrigley Field for the first time since May 2012. San Diego lost its fourth straight, its longest skid since last August. Pierce Johnson (1-2) was charged with the loss. Adbert Alzolay (4-4) allowed one run on three hits and struck out seven in five innings for the win. Four Cubs relievers followed with four scoreless innings. ORIOLES 6, TWINS 3 BALTIMORE (AP) — DJ Stewart and Ryan Mountcastle homered as Baltimore beat Minnesota for its second straight win following a... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Javier Báez lined a two-run homer, Anthony Rizzo had two doubles among three hits and the surging Chicago Cubs beat the San Diego Padres 6-1 on Wednesday for their third straight win and ninth in 10 games. Baez’s shot to the left-field bleachers was his 14th homer and third in three games, and it capped a three-run seventh that allowed Chicago to put it away. Rizzo drove in two runs in the fifth with his first double to snap 1-1 tie. The Cubs homered eight times as they swept the Padres in a three-game set at Wrigley Field for the first time since May 2012. San Diego lost its fourth straight, its longest skid since last August. Pierce Johnson (1-2) was charged with the loss. Adbert Alzolay (4-4) allowed one run on three hits and struck out seven in five innings for the win. Four Cubs relievers followed with four scoreless innings. ORIOLES 6, TWINS 3 BALTIMORE (AP) — DJ Stewart and Ryan Mountcastle homered as Baltimore beat Minnesota for its second straight win following a... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Friday: ___ OHTANI ON DELAY Shohei Ohtani is set to pitch for the Angels in Oakland — assuming he can get to the ballpark on time. Los Angeles' two-way star was supposed to take the ball Thursday, but manager Joe Maddon scratched the right-hander after an accident on the Bay Bridge snarled traffic. The team bus carrying Ohtani wasn't able to get through, and Ohtani experienced another delay when he tried to take a Bay Area Rapid Transit train. Ohtani didn't get to the Coliseum until around 5 p.m. ahead of a 6:40 p.m. first pitch — not enough time for his roughly three-hour pre-start routine — so Maddon tabbed Patrick Sandoval to start and pushed Ohtani back to Friday. Ohtani stayed in the lineup as the designated hitter. The Japanese sensation entered Thursday hitting .270 with 15 homers and is 1-0 with a 2.37 ERA over six starts. ELBOW WOES The Mets may need to reassess their rotation after learning Thursday that right-hander Noah Syndergaard... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Friday: ___ ELBOW WOES The Mets may need to reassess their rotation after learning Thursday that right-hander Noah Syndergaard won't throw for at least six weeks due to inflammation in his right elbow. The hard-throwing 28-year-old was nearing a return from Tommy John surgery when he left his second minor league rehab start Tuesday after just one inning. The Mets said an MRI showed no structural damage to his UCL. Manager Luis Rojas said “we pray that he can pitch for us this year.” Syndergaard is one of several Mets on the injured list and one of four pitchers along with Carlos Carrasco (right hamstring), Taijuan Walker (right side) and Jordan Yamamoto (right shoulder). Carrasco, expected to serve as the Mets’ No. 2 pitcher in Syndergaard’s absence, is on the 60-day IL and not expected to return until at least July. Despite the injuries, New York's starters entered Thursday with a combined 2.94 ERA, fifth best in the majors. Walker is set to... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Friday: ___ ELBOW WOES The Mets may need to reassess their rotation after learning Thursday that right-hander Noah Syndergaard won't throw for at least six weeks due to inflammation in his right elbow. The hard-throwing 28-year-old was nearing a return from Tommy John surgery when he left his second minor league rehab start Tuesday after just one inning. The Mets said an MRI showed no structural damage to his UCL. Manager Luis Rojas said “we pray that he can pitch for us this year.” Syndergaard is one of several Mets on the injured list and one of four pitchers along with Carlos Carrasco (right hamstring), Taijuan Walker (right side) and Jordan Yamamoto (right shoulder). Carrasco, expected to serve as the Mets’ No. 2 pitcher in Syndergaard’s absence, is on the 60-day IL and not expected to return until at least July. Despite the injuries, New York's starters entered Thursday with a combined 2.94 ERA, fifth best in the majors. Walker is set to... [More]

The Houston Astros received a positive update on left-hander Framber Valdez on the same day Forrest Whitley had season-ending surgery on his right elbow. Valdez met with Dr. Steven Shin in Los Angeles on Wednesday, and new images of the pitcher's fractured left ring finger showed significant healing, according to the team. Valdez is expected to continue his rehab at the team's facility in Florida, and there is no timetable yet for his return to the mound. The 27-year-old Valdez went 5-3 with a 3.57 ERA in 11 games last year, including 10 starts. He got hurt when struck by a comebacker while pitching against the Mets on March 2. Whitley's Tommy John surgery was performed by Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, Texas. He got hurt while throwing batting practice this spring training. The 23-year-old Whitley, one of Houston's top prospects, is expected to miss at least a year. He was selected by the Astros in the first round of the 2016 amateur draft. ACES APLENTY Aces Walker Buehler of the Los... [More]

The Houston Astros received a positive update on left-hander Framber Valdez on the same day Forrest Whitley had season-ending surgery on his right elbow. Valdez met with Dr. Steven Shin in Los Angeles on Wednesday, and new images of the pitcher's fractured left ring finger showed significant healing, according to the team. Valdez is expected to continue his rehab at the team's facility in Florida, and there is no timetable yet for his return to the mound. The 27-year-old Valdez went 5-3 with a 3.57 ERA in 11 games last year, including 10 starts. He got hurt when struck by a comebacker while pitching against the Mets on March 2. Whitley's Tommy John surgery was performed by Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, Texas. He got hurt while throwing batting practice this spring training. The 23-year-old Whitley, one of Houston's top prospects, is expected to miss at least a year. He was selected by the Astros in the first round of the 2016 amateur draft. ACES APLENTY Aces Walker Buehler of the Los... [More]

The Houston Astros received a positive update on left-hander Framber Valdez on the same day Forrest Whitley had season-ending surgery on his right elbow. Valdez met with Dr. Steven Shin in Los Angeles on Wednesday, and new images of the pitcher's fractured left ring finger showed significant healing, according to the team. Valdez is expected to continue his rehab at the team's facility in Florida, and there is no timetable yet for his return to the mound. The 27-year-old Valdez went 5-3 with a 3.57 ERA in 11 games last year, including 10 starts. He got hurt when struck by a comebacker while pitching against the Mets on March 2. Whitley's Tommy John surgery was performed by Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, Texas. He got hurt while throwing batting practice this spring training. The 23-year-old Whitley, one of Houston's top prospects, is expected to miss at least a year. He was selected by the Astros in the first round of the 2016 amateur draft. ACES APLENTY Aces Walker Buehler of the Los... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — Top Houston Astros prospect Forrest Whitley had Tommy John surgery on Wednesday and left-hander Framber Valdez is improving after breaking a finger this spring. Whitley's surgery was performed by Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, Texas, and the right-hander is expected to miss at least a year. He was injured while throwing live batting practice this spring. Valdez, who was expected to start for Houston this season, fractured his left ring finger when he was hit by a comebacker on March 2. He visited Dr. Steven Shin in Los Angeles on Wednesday and new images of his injury revealed significant healing. There is no timetable for his return to the mound and he'll continue his rehabilitation in West Palm Beach, Florida. ___ More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports